 There are no further introductions. It's now time for a question period. The member from the P.N. Carlton. Thanks very much, Speaker. My pleasure to ask a question today to the Acting Premier. Less than a day after your government announced it would be bringing forward accountability and transparency legislation, you announced the appointment of Sandra Puppatello, a former leadership party candidate for your party, and a McGinty liberal cabinet minister to chair the embattled Hydro-1. This took place without a public process, without an application process. She's set to make $150,000 or based on last year's schedule $3,800 an hour. This is at a time when most Ontarians cannot afford to pay their hydro bills, and when jobs are leaving this province by the tens of thousands, Ontarians are rightfully cynical over this patronage appointment. I asked yesterday that given the Ontario P.C. government would fire Sandra Puppatello, will this government expose what they have said they would pay her in a severance? Thank you. Deputy Premier. To the Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, we have two agencies in particular, Mr. Speaker, who have had chairs who have been in place for upwards of ten years, Mr. Speaker. We, in the normal course, order, replace speakers, chairs rather, who have been in place that long, Mr. Speaker. We did look at the abilities of a number of people, Mr. Speaker, and I would say, Mr. Speaker, first of all, with respect to Ontario power generation, we appointed Bernard Lord, former Premier of New Brunswick, who had tremendous experience, who incidentally has conservative ties, I believe, Mr. Speaker. And we are very proud of that conservative appointment, Mr. Speaker. Remember from Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembrokeville, what's wrong? Withdraw. No, you're finished. Supplementary. So very much, Speaker. If the Liberals had a Senate, Sandra Puppatello would be the government leader in the Senate. We're tired on this side of liberal government hacks. The sense of liberal entitlement has worn very thin. I didn't hear what he is paying, not only Sandra Puppatello and his severance, but also Bernard Lord, who this caucus does not think is fit to run the OPG. So, again, not only are they going to be forced to pay for these exorbitant salaries as well as severances that they are not prepared to disclose, yesterday the energy minister tied the natural gas increase to hydro rates at the OEB. And for a minister that says the OEB chooses rates on its own, it was interesting that he would contradict himself when he left question period. But let's have a refresher on liberal energy policy. Billion-dollar gas plan scandal, 20 billion-dollar failed green energy plant, exporting energy at a loss of a billion dollars. Now Sandra Puppatello is expensive energy policy. I stand. You sit. Minister of Energy. Speaker, I quite enjoy the questions I get from my conservative critic because there's usually a diatribe, Mr. Speaker, that involves six or eight or ten issues, which you couldn't possibly answer in a question. So I have to play, what will I answer today of all of the things that she indicated, Mr. Speaker? I'll get back to her main question, Mr. Speaker. Sandra Puppatello has served this province, served this government extremely well, Mr. Speaker, including community and social servers, Mr. Speaker. She has had the responsibility of managing ministries that have huge budgets. She has been interested very much so in service to the public. She has economic experience as an economic development commissioner for the city of Windsor. She has also been a senior advisor to KPGM, a business consulting firm. We are proud of that appointment, and I really, really think that that's it. Thank you. From memory, the Minister of Rural Affairs will come to order. The member from Stormite Dundas in South Klingere will come to order. The member from Renfrew and Epstein Pembroke will come to order. And I also believe it was the member from Synco North. I did. And I'm hearing the member from Halton now. I'll get you. Final supplementary. If the Minister wants to know why I have so much loaded questions in my questions, it's because they have a 10-year record of failure in energy, adding only to the expensive appointment after she lost the leadership of their party and which he supported. We are the only party speaker in this assembly that is committed to reducing hydro bills. We have said we would monetize OPG and Hydro One and make them accountable so it wouldn't be the Senate for Liberal Hacks. We have said we would end that expensive VIP program to the tune of $20 billion a year for 1% of Hydro that it's producing. And we said we would deal with the oversupplied by creating sensible energy plans. I would staff Tim Houdak's plan against their plan. He wanted to take Senator O'Dowell's task. Minister of Energy. Mr. Speaker, I give the opposition credit for bringing forward white papers on their energy policy. One of their policies is to privatize Ontario Power Generation, which they tried to do back around 2002, Mr. Speaker. And here's what the Toronto Sun initiative, which is in the right paper today. Instead, it led to the exact opposite of price reduction. Race skyrocketed amid rampant Tory patronage and the Conservatives faced with rising public fury abandoned the scheme, leaving a financial disaster in a week. That's from their paper, The Toronto Sun, Mr. Speaker. Also, the million dollar act that they initiated, Mr. Speaker, they will cancel existing contracts and expose the province to $20 billion in certain claims, Mr. Speaker. Their policies were a disaster, are a disaster, they don't deserve to be elected. Yeah. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Training, College and Universities. Minister, last week, your Minister of Economic Development Trade, basically, rubber-stamped the compulsory certification of carpentry. Basically, he did this without any knowledge of the industry and saying that a decision had already been made. That is in contrast to you and the Ontario College of Trade who claim that compulsory certification of carpentry is industry-driven. So, Minister, is the compulsory certification of carpentry a done deal and is your government about to rubber-stamp a deal that will cripple the construction industry in Ontario and cost tens of thousands of jobs right here in Ontario? You said it, Chris. Thank you. Don't say. Minister of Training, College and Universities. Of course not, Mr. Speaker. Why? We set up the College of Trade so that these decisions could be made in a evidence-based, rational environment. Unlike the party opposite, Mr. Speaker, whose view is these decisions should be made in back rooms at the Albany Club. That's the way the decisions were made in the past, Mr. Speaker, not in the future. We respect the skilled trades more than that. We believe, Mr. Speaker, that these decisions ought to be made by people who are involved in the skilled trades, Mr. Speaker, who understand the challenges involved, who understand the impacts on the skilled trades, understand the impacts on the economy, understand the impacts on Ontarians. That's why we set up the College of Trade, Mr. Speaker. So, in answer to the members' question, of course not, that's the decision ultimately. If it were an application, where to come forward would go through the proper process. Well, at least they're not making the decision in Pat Dillon's living room. Okay. Minister, the compulsory certification of carpentry is really only supported by one group, and that's the Carpenters Union. We all know that the membership in the Interior College of Trades is nothing more than a new tax, a trades tax. You know that, the whole province knows that. The third party, the NDP clearly do not support any new, and I quote, taxes, tolls, or fees on the working class. And the Laborers' Union, Leona, they detest the compulsory certification of carpentry. So my question is, are you prepared to cripple the construction industry in Ontario by rubber-strapping the compulsory certification of carpentry, or will you side with the NDP and Leona and demand no new taxes and save thousands of jobs right here in our province? Thank you. You see the face? Thank you, Minister. It really is time for the member to start levelling with Ontarians and start talking factually about what the College of Trades is about, Mr. Speaker, and stop trying to say things that simply, Mr. Speaker, aren't in keeping with the facts. If he's got a good argument, Mr. Speaker, he can make that argument by factually making that argument rather than making things up. Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the College of Trades is set up to deal with these kinds of issues. These are challenging decisions, Mr. Speaker. They have to be made in a rational environment. They have to be evidenced based. They have to consider impacts on the economy. They have to consider impacts on Ontarians, and they have to consider impacts on the skilled trades. Mr. Speaker, in the past these decisions were made in government-backed rooms or not made at all, Mr. Speaker, and ignored. We set up a structure now, Mr. Speaker, that allows for an evident consideration of these decisions. That, I think, is the way of the future. That respects the skilled trades. Thank you. That ensures... Sorry, Mr. Thank you. That's it. Final supplementary. Very much. And someday, Minister, I'd like to give you a briefing on the trades in Ontario. The Minister, I understand the wedge you are put in here. The Ontario College of Trades has nothing more than a new trades tax. And, Speaker, even today, tens of thousands of hairstylists formed a new association and have joined the Stop the Trades Tax campaign with the new Cut the Salon Tax campaign. So, with thousands of premises and journey persons candidates about to be put out of work on April the 8th, and with your compulsory certification of carpentry, about to kill tens of thousands of construction jobs here in Ontario, and with a bunch of cop wannabes harassing the tradespeople of Ontario, and now with a new Stop the Salon Tax, don't you think it's about time you actually listen to me and join with Tim Hodak and the PC Caucus, and a Boris's pathetic college of trades once and for all? Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, I listen to the member every time he gets up. The problem is what he says isn't in keeping with the facts, Mr. Speaker. So, I can listen to the cows come home, but Mr. Speaker, I'm waiting to hear something sensible from the member that's really going to help us drive forward the skilled trades, Mr. Speaker. Help us build stronger skilled trades in this college. If we had listened to the member opposite, Mr. Speaker, with when it comes to ratios between apprenticeships and journeypersons, we would have ended up exactly where we were under them when they were in government, where they had zero reductions in trade ratios. Mr. Speaker, since we've been in office, since the college of trades has been in place, they've reduced trade ratios by 14. Mr. Speaker, that's a pretty significant difference in approaches. We're getting things done. We're doing an evidence-based, rational way, allowing tradespeople, Mr. Speaker, that have the respect to be able to self-govern their own industry. That's right. We have confidence in those decisions. We have confidence they can do the job. It's too bad that you don't. Thank you. Well done. New question, the Leader of the Third Party. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the acting Premier. Middle-class families are feeling squeezed like never before, and they're worried about jobs, Speaker. They see Ontario's unemployment rate stubbornly stuck above the national average, and paychecks that just don't come down to the cost of living. Does the acting Premier think that- You can hide, but I can still hear you. It's actually acceptable. Coup, Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, what I can say is that there is no party in this house that has a monopoly on caring for people who are struggling every day to pay their bills, Speaker. On this side of the house, we have taken action to reduce costs for people who are in that middle class. Some of those examples would be the work we're doing to reduce auto insurance, Speaker. We've reduced that by 4.66% on average since August of last year. We've expanded the 30% off tuition grant, so 230,000 students received that grant last year, and we've now expanded access to five-year programs and private career colleges. Speaker, one of the most important things we can do is secure retirement security. We are very committed to doing that, Speaker, and the new member opposite- The party office is silent. Supplementary. Well, Speaker, before people can retire, they need a job. People struggling to find work are very tired of hearing liberals insist that their plan is working. The government insists that the HST and corporate task giveaways would create jobs, but people keep seeing local plants close. The government insists they can work with employers to bring investments, but businesses like Cliffs Resources and Chrysler are walking away from the table. The Premier insists that she's the change, so why does the government keep sticking to the same old status quo? Well, Speaker, we are anything but sticking to the status quo, and I would ask the leader of the third party to actually come clean with the people of Ontario on what exactly their plan is. So when it comes to pension security, they have no plans. They remain silent on that issue. When it comes to energy, they voice to opposition to high rates, but they have no plans for those rates down, Speaker. And when it comes to transit, which our middle-class families depend on, you have a multitude of positions, Speaker. So I really think it's important that the leader of the third party actually come clean with the people of Ontario and express what their plan is. Thank you. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, I think they know our plans very, very well because they keep implementing them. People with the same old approaches. People want to see competitive electricity rates to help attract business. Instead, they see the same bloated system that pays millions to executives and dumps discounted electricity into competing jurisdictions. They want to see tax incentives that reward businesses putting people back to work. Instead, they see tax loopholes that help CEOs write off a night on the town. The Premier says she wants to do things differently, but all she's offered to do is promise to raise gas taxes in the HST and then frantically scramble in the other direction. Do the Liberals really think this is good enough for the people of Ontario? Thank you. Deputy Premier. Well, Speaker, you don't have to take it from me. The facts are the NDP is nowhere on important issues. Let me quote from the Toronto Star, February 16th, top issues that require political bravery, Speaker. On March 15th, 2014, the charter, members of the Pee and Carlton, come to order, is losing its voice on a minimum wage, Speaker. The Globe and Mail says there's no denying Ms. Horvath has taken the accent off NDP's traditional focus on anti-poverty. And what about Horvath's response to women's for maid and arterial pension plan? Silence. On the call of Star for War 16th. Speaker, I think it's time for the NDP, said where they stand. Thank you. New question. Thank you, Speaker. My next step question is for the acting Premier as well. No strings attached giveaways have handed out a lot of money, but there's not much evidence that they've created many jobs. In fact, most of that money has been stockpiled. It's clear that we need a better approach in this province. Unconquered Sun, a manufacturer in Windsor, told us, and I quote, the NDP plan for a new job creation tax credit is a smart, simple idea that will help me grow. Are the Liberals ready to try a new approach that will give a boost to companies that are ready to put people to work? Deputy Premier, let me just share some good examples, and I know the Minister of Economic Development and Employment will want to speak. Cisco Systems is adding 1,700 high-tech jobs over six years with potential for 5,000 jobs, and we're investing 190 million over six years to leverage 4 billion. I call that a success. We're partnering with the federal government and Ford of Canada. That's securing 2,800 jobs. Toyota in Cambridge, 400 new jobs. Original Foods in Dunville, 150 new jobs. Conestoga Meatpackers in Bremland, 425 existing jobs will be retained, 100 new jobs. Sutherland's Furniture is a London, Ontario success story, and they want to grow. Vivienne Dupuis of Sutherland's Furniture told us that they've been thinking about whether they can afford new hires, and this is exactly the sort of incentive that would help them make that decision in uncertain times. She says a job creator tax credit will quote, assist small businesses in growing their operation, and in turn, growing the local economy, unquote. What does the government have to say to Vivienne and business people like her? Minister of Economic Development and Employment Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know this idea of a job creator's tax credit is being around with the NDP for a long, long time. I know they were initially thinking of a 20% credit to the employer, and then it went down to 10%, and I have no doubt it may actually end up being 0% in the not too distant future. Mr. Speaker, and this is part of the reason I wish if they had actually read the job and prosperity council report, which was chaired, of course, by the esteemed Gordon Nixon, the president and CEO of RBC. So here they are. Here's the jobs and prosperity council report saying for the proposed tax credit, the NDP tax credit, the JPC indicated that a number of considerations need to be taken into account in coming to a balanced view of its merits and risks. Taken together, these considerations suggest that the proposed tax credit entails significant fiscal risks and may not achieve the desired outcome. Here we have the minister once again relying on the same old status quo on a panel report that doesn't even talk about jobs at all. Captain Tarion's unemployment rate stubbornly above the national average, and that is not good enough, Speaker. Thalmuc Labs is a venture capital-funded startup in the community tech hub in Kitchener Waterloo. Stephen Lake, Thalmuc Labs CEO, had this to say about a job-creator tax credit quote. An incentive like the one being proposed would be helpful for companies like us as we continue to build our teams. Now, are the Liberals going to stand by their same old status quo that they continue to flout as I ask these questions, or are they going to listen to businesses like the ones I've quoted today that are ready to actually start creating jobs in our province? Minister of economic development, trade and employment. Speaker, frankly, I can't believe that in a single sentence the leader of the third party has tried to discredit the entire work of the Jobs and Prosperity Council, representing the business leadership right across this province and chaired by Gordon Nixon, who was at that time the president and CEO of RBC. I find that frankly quite unbelievable, and she references community tech as well. She references community tech. Community tech is a job-creator. It's going to probably, as many as 10,000 jobs with government support over the last number of years. And the examples that she gives, the evidence shows, and it's not just the Jobs and Prosperity Council, the evidence shows. No question. Member from Nippison. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. In yesterday's focus on finance presentation, we had an insider's look into the secret workings of the Liberal Party. Last year, when your finance officials told you one thing, you immediately went out and told the bond rating agency something completely opposite. We also saw that you blacked out many emails, labeling them commercially sensitive information. Well, let's take a look at what you were covering over. No funding for incremental compensation increases for new collective agreements. Salaries for designated groups frozen until 2017-18. Minister, you voted against our across-the-board wage freeze when you were secretly planning to do the same thing. What else are you hiding? Minister of Finance? Mr. Speaker, the audacity of the member's opposite to suggest that we're hiding anything when that is the party that hid $5.6 billion in the last year. And now they're referencing information that we deliver to the committee, recognizing that, yes, there are recommendations that are proposed and provided. We take them into consideration. Things change. Revenues change. We recalibrate. We control our spending to offset them, Mr. Speaker. And we've been very open and transparent because we put it in our fall economic statement six months later. The facts are there. They never read it until today. They're pretty slow, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. We wish that we're slow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've also discovered part of your plan is not to report any real numbers for as long as you can. With today's Fraser Institute report showing Ontario's debt situation is now actually much worse than California's, Speaker, we now understand why. It also explains why last October you failed to disclose the long-range assessment as required by the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act. When I asked you for this in the legislature, you said, quote, we have a fall economic statement coming out shortly. But guess what, Minister? There were no medium-term outlook numbers included in it. Not even your famous recalibrated numbers were in that report. The Transparency Act also states that third quarter results must be published by February 15th, something also you failed to provide this year. Minister, again I ask you, what else are you hiding? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, here's a good quote. Whoa, listen to this. The provincial budget has been balanced for the past four years with a fifth to come. That was said by Tim Houdak when they showed a deficit. This is not the case. We've been open and transparent. We will continue to do what's necessary. We have always been outlining. Order. And as soon as I sit down, I'll get right back up again if someone starts. Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, we'll continue to be open and transparent. We brought in laws to do just that. We are the ones that are coming in with our long-range plan. We've already identified that it will be coming forward. The member from Leeds, Granville, the member from Oxford, and the member from Prince Edward Hastings come to order. Carry on. Obviously they don't want to hear the truth, Mr. Speaker, because this is what they said. The former provincial auditor said this, the Tories in their zeal to make some budget balance as required by Ontario law manipulated figures to ensure revenue appeared to match expenditure that was done in 2003. We will continue to do what's right. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the acting Premier. Late last week, we learned that Enbridge and Union gas have applied for increases that in one fell swoop will increase the price we pay for gas used to power our furnaces and hot water heaters by up to 40%. Now we learned that the Minister of Energy is musing about electricity prices going up more than 42% indicated in the government's long-term energy plan because of high natural gas prices. Is this government resigned to hard-pressed Ontarians paying electricity price increases but they just can't afford. The gas prices in my response and I'll talk about electricity prices in the supplementary. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, there is no flow through of profit or margin on commodity costs of natural gas. There is a North American problem with escalating prices in natural gas and the gas companies flow that through. Mr. Speaker, they will go to the Ontario energy board, the Ontario energy board who is mandated to protect the interests of consumers will see what the prices were, what they did with those prices. They will make a decision. The increases that they apply for at the Ontario energy board, Mr. Speaker, are distribution costs which they get locally, Mr. Speaker. There is no profit on the increase to the actual gas companies. Mr. Speaker, can you say that in the supplementary? Speaker, Ontarians want a government that speaks for them not for the gas companies. You've got to understand that. People understand that this was a cold winter but winter is pretty much over and most of the gas used by gas plants is purchased under long-term contracts. Last week, in anticipation of warmer weather and a pickup and drilling, North American gas prices began to decline. Will the government ensure that any application to increase electricity prices by gas generators is reviewed in a way that's transparent or is it resigned to ever-increasing hydro prices for hard-pressed Ontarians? Mr. Speaker, the issue is before the Ontario energy board and as everyone in this chamber knows, Mr. Speaker, that is an independent organization, association. They look at the evidence, there's the opportunity for consumer advocates, stakeholders to make representations. They deal with it in an open and transparent manner, Mr. Speaker, and that's the way they deal with business and we cannot tell them what to do, Mr. Speaker. With respect to electricity prices, as I indicated last week in the House, Mr. Speaker, Hydro-Quebec does a study every year, a comparative study of all the provinces and cities across the country. Here's what they report for 2013, Mr. Speaker. The price for electricity in Ottawa 12.39 cents per kilowatt hour. Toronto 12.48 cents. Quickly, Edmonton 13.9, Calgary 14.8, Halifax 15.45. We are competitive, Mr. Speaker, and we're going to stay competitive. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. As we look to the future, I believe most members in this House would prefer that we all have the chance to age with dignity in our own homes and with the supports that we need to keep all of us out of institutional care for as long as possible. And I'm sure that every single one of us has an elderly loved one who has needed help in the tasks of daily living that we all tend to take for granted. And that's why I was alarmed, Speaker, along with many families and seniors in Vaughan and across York Region, to hear recently that the opposition conservative member from New Market Aurora say that high-risk seniors across York Region are having their essential assisted living services cut. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister could please tell the House what is really happening in York Region. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Speaker. And I like to thank the member from Vaughan for giving me the opportunity to clear the air on this matter and bring some comfort to the people of York Region who may have been led to believe that they will see a reduction in these vital supports. As part of our Action Plan for Healthcare, we are committed to ensuring that seniors get the right care at the right time and in the right place, and very often that is at home. So contrary to what the member from New Market Aurora claims, our new assisted living for high-risk seniors policy will improve assisted living services for seniors who need them both and allow more seniors to get the care they need. Under the old model, assisted living services were provided only in supportive housing buildings, so many clients did not have access to the 24-7 care that they needed, Speaker, and unscheduled urgent visits. So now patients will be able to receive in-home personal support, home-making security checks, care coordination, 24 hours a day, seven days wherever they live. Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for her thoughtful response, and I thank her for providing important clarity with respect to what's really taking place. And I'm sure that many people living in my riding of Vaughan and across York Region will be relieved to know that their assisted living services are not being cut, and they'll be delighted to know that in fact, Speaker, they're being expanded. However, I am sure that there will still be many seniors in the region who are concerned about the transition to this new model. Some may be worried that these reforms will disrupt the care they're already receiving. Speaker, can the Minister please inform the House regarding what will happen to patients as this new policy is implemented? Thank you, Speaker. Every patient currently receiving assisted living services will continue to do so under this new model. There will be no reduction in service, and with a $5 million additional investment from the central Linn, there will be 625 additional assisted living spaces in the community. That means more seniors will receive the care they need to maintain their independence at home. Providers are now working together to ensure continuity of care for all current assisted living seniors with high needs, and they're working with patients that are being transitioned to a new provider. For example, CARES supervisor from CHATS are meeting with York Region's Alternative Community Living Program to best understand how to support each individual. So far, 80% of those one-on-one meetings have been completed, and we will continue to work with the Linn to make sure people get the care they need. Thank you. Good question. Members from Barry. Speaker, my question is to the minister in response to the pan-pair-pan-am games. Oops, you did it again, minister. Last Friday, you told us with conviction that the total transportation cost was between $75 million and $90 million. Yet yesterday in committee, the TO 2015 confirmed that there's a second transportation plan nobody knew about were $32 million. You've said that you're in charge of the games, but you can't be aware of all the details. Maybe you're unaware of the details because you don't attend your own technical briefings. Minister, you're clearly not interested in being responsible for the pan-am games. Will you step down finally? Should step down. Minister responsible for pan-pair-pan games. Speaker, thank you very much for the question. Speaker, one more day, one more insult to the game. Speaker, back a few years ago, when Ontario bid for the games, one of the bid requirements was the transportation of the afterness and family members. This is the responsibility of TO 2015. Speaker, the course is allocated from the beginning. The course is within the overall budget of $1.441 billion. Speaker, our recent forecast decreased that amount and the saving of $49 million. Speaker, as whole jurisdiction, Ontario is responsible for the traffic flow in general. We have a comprehensive plan, a comprehensive transportation plan. It is workable, it is achievable. Vancouver did it. London did it. Thank you. Speaker, the biggest insult to these games is the fact that this government continues to play shell games with the numbers here. To be perfectly clear, the total transportation cost to date is between $107 million and $122 million, despite what you say, minister. This is up from $55 million. Who's counting? I am, by the way. It was the organizing committee CEO on the job for only 10 weeks who shed light on your transportation planning. What have you been doing all this time, minister, if you can't be open and transparent? How can you be responsible? You've lost the confidence of the public to lead this portfolio and you report to someone without a public mandate. Minister, I'm hard pressed to find anyone who knows less about the games than you do. Will you remedy this finally and step down and let someone do it who can handle the job? Minister, the member opposite is completely over-touched with the game. In November last year, he actually asked when the last pen and games will help. He complained the cost of the game was too high. At the same time, he said we were not spending enough on transportation and security. And most recently, he alleged that the 2015 mascot was in Sochi and Caribbean by looking at a trader of a six-inch stuffed toy animal. Speaker, this is nonsense. The nonsense just continued to hurt the games that are coming to Ontario. This nonsense hurt our athletes. This nonsense hurt our coaches. Speaker, this nonsense hurt the spirit of the game. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you for your question. Thank you very much, Speaker. The question is to the Minister of Transportation. Over 100 long days ago, I asked the government for crucial information about the most expensive transit projects underway. Earlier today, for the sixth time in a row, the government members in committee blocked this simple request. This Liberal government has an awful record on accountability and they're doing nothing to fix it. They think it's okay to keep Ontarians in the dark about how public money is spent. My question to the Minister is this. What on earth is he afraid of that we're going to find that will hurt him or his ministry? Mr. Speaker, I am appalled by the third party. This is a party that wants to leave working women in Brampton who cannot get transit to get their kids to share it in to have to have $11,000 a car because they won't support transit. These are people who are happy having people in Scarborough wait 40 minutes for a bus to get to work in the morning. These are people who take working families and working marginal workers who work in office buildings downtown and don't provide them with the transit. These are not the party in the middle class. This is the party of the indifferent and the elite, Mr. Speaker. In case he didn't hear me or else while he was heckling, he didn't hear me. The member from Hamilton East Stony Creek will come to order. Mr. Speaker, when does this party care about as much about people who drive buses as the insurance breaks on people who drive BMWs, Mr. Speaker? Speaker, all I have to say is that all that blah, blah, blah was not very helpful. We know that Ontarians want transit expansion, but they don't want to see more waste and cost overruns. We know that. The people of Ontario have a right to see the true cost of transit projects, yet the Liberals are blocking the way. They are stalling these motions for months. They've been refusing to be transparent and accountable to Ontarians. My question to the minister, Speaker, is this, will he say to his MPP colleagues, stop the stonewalling in committee and tell his ministry to release all the documents that the committee needs to see? I've been suspicious that the people of the third party have gotten so close to the party office that they're starting to behave like them, anti-transit. And, Mr. Speaker, the other habit they've taken that the Tories have is that they don't raise budgets. The business plan for all 15 rapid transit projects and the funding models are all click, click on the website. Anything that he wants, he can find out from Metrolinx and his peer. I cannot help the third party's transit illiteracy. I understand that they don't understand that some people actually use buses and that for middle class families the cost of transit is actually crushing them, Mr. Speaker, because, well, they love to talk about energy. In fact, transportation is the second biggest household cost after food. But he doesn't care about that and he wants to attack transit not only not funded, Mr. Speaker, maybe even paid a report. Your question, Mr. Scarborough-Gilmore. Thank you, Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Ontario is home to one of the largest financial sectors in North America. And Toronto has in recent years been declared one of the top destinations for foreign direct investment. Regulations for the financial sector are an important part of what has kept Ontario and Canada strong during recent years, in particular with the recession south of the border. Can the Minister please inform the House about the regulations of Ontario's capital markets and the contributions of the Ontario Securities Commission? Thank you, Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member from Scarborough-Gilmore for this very important question. Ontario has a strong and successful financial sector and it secures our prosperity and our economy. Recent study from the Conference Board of Canada and the Toronto Financial Services Alliance knows that one in 13 Ontarians are directly employed by this sector and helps grow Ontario's economy for many other sectors. Smart regulations are an essential element of our government's approach to supporting the sector and is evidenced by our continued commitment to a dynamic and innovative business climate. The Ontario Securities Commission plays an essential role in regulating and safeguarding capital markets. They help protect investors from unfair or improper practices. They foster fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in Ontario. The OSC is a success story and an example to the world of how to effectively regulate capital markets to secure prosperity. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that important update. My constituents agree that Ontario needs strong smart regulation for capital markets. We are pleased to see the OSC's efforts to protect investors and combat fraud. I had the opportunity to attend a fraud prevention event on behalf of the Minister of Consumer Services in my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood, and I can tell you this is a real concern for my constituents. They also feel that the OSC must take a grassroots approach to promoting financial literacy and combat fraud in our communities. Can the Minister please update the House as to the OSC's work in local communities in this regard? Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right. The OSC must work at the local level to combat fraud and offer educational initiatives for all Ontarians. That's why in February of 2013, the OSC launched the OSC in the Community Initiative with its Protect Your Money Fraud Prevention Seminars. The OSC is touring cities across Ontario, educating investors on fraud prevention and financial literacy, and raising the profile and understanding of the OSC as a whole. Thus far, the OSC has visited Thunder Bay, Kingston, London, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Peterborough, Brampton, Windsor, Ottawa, and Berry with plans to visit four additional cities this winter. The OSC will be reaching out to all MPPs before they visit your community. These initiatives build relationships with the local community groups, law enforcement agencies and small businesses. They help to enhance education and financial literacy and they combat fraud at all levels. I thank the OSC for their leadership in this regard. I look forward to the new and innovative initiatives. I'd like to thank the Chair, Howard Weston, and his entire team for their tireless efforts in this regard. Thank you. Question. The member from Leeds Grandville. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Yesterday in refusing to stop the closures of the Kempville and Alfred colleges, the Premier repeatedly said that the programs would continue. Minister, you know that's not true. All the programs aren't moving several hundred kilometres away. Many of them will be disappearing. So the Premier, as the Minister of Agriculture, she really doesn't understand or she doesn't care. Minister, North America's leading organic dairy education and research centre in Alfred is disappearing. And so are hundreds of skilled trades positions at Kempville College. Those positions are needed in the skilled trades. Question. Minister, can't you see without a moratorium, you're going to destroy a tradition of post-secondary agricultural education that took almost a century to have? Thank you. Minister of Training and Colleges and Universities. Mr. Speaker, I recognise the member as an opposition member and I recognise that it's really easy for opposition members just to ask for anything and take the easy way out. But I really encourage the member to use as an example the work that the member from Glen Gary Crestcott Russell has done to ensure that the Alfred campus remains working, remains open, Mr. Speaker, and that there's continuity there and those students will be able to continue to take those courses. And he did that, Mr. Speaker, by working really hard to attract local partners. Le Cité and Collège Boreal, who are going to step in, they've signed an agreement with Guelph University. That's good news. It's an example of how a local member can make a real difference. I encourage the member opposite because we are looking very forward. We will work with him. My colleague will work with him to try to find local solutions. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, to do the same thing I can. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Minister. Come on, Minister. The only credible plan for these colleges is to have a moratorium. That's the only way forward. You know, Minister, right now students at both Kempville and Alfred are receiving letters telling them to reapply to Riddstown. We're hearing from students in the Kempville area who won't continue with their studies next year. They're going to try to find a safe to come order. One mom said that her son who planned to enroll in Kempville in the fall, he's not going to take any other post-secondary position anywhere else. That's what happens when you destroy local agricultural education opportunities. You're the minister responsible. Can you stand up in a sugar Ontario that we're going to have the same amount of spaces available for post-secondary agricultural educational programs if you decide to question him with this plan? Thank you. And before the minister, before the minister starts, I want to remind members that when the member was putting the question, I was still hearing heckling from this side and I heard quiet. And I admonished anyone that got in the way of somebody putting the question. I expect the same courtesy when the answer is being given. Minister. There is quiet on this side, Mr. Speaker, when he's asking that question, because it's an important and very valid question. It's something we care deeply about, Mr. Speaker. The member from Glengarry Prescott, I think, has stood out in this particular situation by reaching out to partners in the local community and ensuring that the people that have to be first on our minds on this, our students, are being looked after at that particular campus. We would like to see a similar solution arrived at for Kempville, Mr. Speaker, and we'll work hard with that member opposite. We'll work hard with the member for Glengarry Prescott Russell to see if a local partner can be identified that can continue those courses. But let's be clear, Mr. Speaker, let's ensure there's no confusion for those students. The members from Glengarry Prescott Russell will come to order. Those courses are moving to the Ridgewood campus, Mr. Speaker. Those courses are not being counted. They're moving to another location and Alfred courses will continue. Those students will have the option of staying there or moving. Thank you. The member from Glengarry Prescott Russell will come to order. The member from Leeds Granville will come to order. The member from Oxford will come to order. Oh, I remembered. New question. The member from Tamiskini Cockney. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Northern Development Mines. It's been two years since the Liberal government announced a sell-off of the Ontario Northland, jeopardizing 1,000 families directly and many others indirectly, a decision made without consultation or any research, and we later found out was going to cost the government over $800 million. Northerners United enforced the government to backtrack. Finally, finally, the government has allowed management and the employees to put together a plan and present it. My question is very simple, a plan that could revitalize the ONTC. My question is very simple. Will you act on that plan? I very much appreciate the question. I know what an important issue this is for everyone in Northeastern Ontario, and certainly we are very, very proud of the fact that we were able to work with people in Northeastern Ontario, setting up a ministerial advisory committee that's been meeting quite frankly for the last year as we look at a different approach to the ONTC, a transformational one that really is much about restructuring alternative service delivery as others. We are very grateful to have had a report submitted by the management unions together. That was presented to our ministerial advisory committee a couple of weeks ago. We are looking at it very, very seriously, and again, I'm very grateful for the hard work that's gone into that. This is an extremely important decision. We're conscious of the uncertainty that's been there. I made that clear at our last meeting that indeed I appreciate all the good work that's been done, and we're looking forward to being able to make some decisions soon. Thank you, supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. The minister made a good point about it is causing uncertainty. It's caused uncertainty in the North for two years, and now we're worried at this final juncture that the government might try to sell off part of the ONTC at this late date just to save face, and that would scuttle the plan that was put forward by Northerners to revitalize the company. We need a commitment that the ministry and minister and the premier is truly going to commit to revitalize the ONTC and not try any fast moves to try to save face at this late juncture. Thank you, minister. Well, again, I appreciate the question, and there certainly are no fast moves that are being made. This has been a really important discussion that we've had in it, and if I can be very clear about one thing, the one thing that's been very, very important to us is that any decisions related to the future of the ONTC really truly are about finding a way to have a sustainable long-term operation, and that goes for all four of the divisions of the ONTC. So we've taken a different approach. The member is aware of that. The ministry of advisory committee members, made of certainly municipal leaders, First Nation, Métis Nation, business, industry have been really, really working hard together. The report that came to us, the combined management unit report was one that we're looking at very, very seriously, but I can assure you that the bottom line really is that we're going to make decisions that are based on a long-term, sustainable future for the ONTC, and it may I say a bright future for the ONTC. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister of training, colleges, and universities. Mr. Speaker, experiential learning is an important component of post-secondary education for many students across the province. The chance to gain valuable on-the-job experience in their field of choice is what many students need to succeed. Mr. Speaker, spaces across post-secondary institutions in the provinces are limited, and some co-op students struggle to find placements during their terms. Mr. Speaker, in honor of National Cooperative Education Week, can the minister please explain what the government is doing to support cooperative education in Ontario? Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question and for bringing to the attention of this legislature the importance of co-op education. It is absolutely a crucial direction that we have to continue to excel in, and our province and our institutions have been among the best in the world at it. Experiential learning is integral to supporting the skills and knowledge that our students need to succeed in a fiercely competitive global economy. We want to do everything we can to support the 40,000 co-op students at our post-secondary institutions across the province through our co-op diploma apprenticeship program students get on-the-job apprenticeship training while earning a college degree. We also support our businesses, Mr. Speaker, to help make it easier for employers to hire co-op students. Our government offers up to $3,000 through the to the Ontario co-op education tax credit. Mr. Speaker, these are incredibly important programs. There are many more. This is the direction we have to continue to go in. We're good at this, but I think we still need to do more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's good to know we are creating more opportunities for experiential learning by providing support for both students and employers. Mr. Speaker, working together we can make sure their children have the skills and tools they need to be successful in Ontario's growing workforce. But we must go even further to ensure the success of our students. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister is aware, many co-op programs require students to spend an extra year at their post-secondary institution. This means another year of tuition fees and even more student debt to pay off once they graduate. Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister, what is our government doing to help relieve the extra cost burden for students who choose to pursue co-op education? Great question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm really pleased to be able to say that our government is doing more to help students pursuing co-op education. Ontario recognizes that many of these students face an extra financial burden, and that shouldn't discourage them from having an opportunity to gain valuable work experience while earning a degree. I know the member who asked the question was on me on this when we brought in the 30% off-tuition program, and that's why we've extended the 30% off-tuition program grant to students in their final year of the five-year co-op program. Eligible students, Mr. Speaker, in their fifth year will now be eligible to save up to $1,730 on tuition per year. Last year, Mr. Speaker, the 30% off-tuition grant helped 230,000 students in low and middle-income families gain access to education and make their education more affordable. It's a program we're really, really proud of, and we're really pleased to have extended it now to the fifth year for co-op students. Thank you. New question, the member from Perry Sound, Muscova. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, last spring, people living in Perry Sound, Muscova and across Central Ontario were hit hard by record spring floods brought on by torrential rains. In my riding, the towns of Huntsville and Bracepers both declared a state of emergency due to the conditions. Many people around the lakes and across Perry Sound, Muscova are still recovering from this 100-year flood event. So my question is, with nearly a full year elapsed since the floods last spring, what review has your ministry conducted into the management of the local water system? Thank you, Mr. Minister of Resources. Thank you, Speaker. I want to thank the member for the question. As we know, the challenges that were faced by residents in this area, given these unprecedented levels of rainfall, were very, very significant and very challenging. MNR's responsibility as the member knows is to provide flood information, warning update, and information so that local individuals can respond in a timely way and do the best job that they can to prepare and mitigate any negative effects as a result of this type of natural disaster. We are continuing to improve, to update, and to ensure that the local officials in the areas and in the communities that the member is talking about have the information that they need in a timely way, and we're committed to continuing to work with the representatives in his communities. Supplementary. Well, thank you again to the Minister of Natural Resources. Areas of Perry, San Muskoka have received record snowfalls this winter, over 400 centimetres, and even without a significant rainfall, managing the watershed this spring will be a challenge. Minister, I think you know how important local knowledge and years of experience is for ministry staff that manage the watershed and understand the system. Minister, I also know that your ministry is going through what you call the MNR transformation plan that involves staff changes. So my question, Minister, is can you assure me that we are not losing key water control specialists in the Bracebridge or Perry Sound MNR offices in your transformation? Thank you, Minister. Thank you again, Speaker. The members got a very important question here with respect to the safety of residents in his community with respect to the rainfall, the runoff and the unprecedented levels of snowfall this year. And I understand from our ministry folks that we've already in fact issued some warnings to be on this in a very proactive way to ensure that those notifications are issued at the earliest possible point. And with respect to our transformation initiative, we'll certainly commit to the member that those individuals that have the responsibility for indicating this information to local community residents will continue to remain in place and will be working very closely with representatives of his communities. New question to the member from Toronto, Danforth. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the acting Premier. Three years ago, my constituent Maria Descalos lost her mother at a Toronto hospital. The great tragedy was not only to meet your Descalos's passing, but also the ordeal the family was subjected to prior to her death and the lack of answers following it. Demetra was treated as a bedblocker, roomed with someone with an antibiotic resistant disease apparently in violation of infection control guidelines and the family given a bill for $19,000. Our system failed Demetra Descalos. Why is the acting Premier refused to investigate how it could all have gone so wrong? Thank you, Deputy Premier. Well, thank you, Speaker, and of course I cannot speak to any individual but I can, Speaker, tell you that people who work in Ontario's health care system are very committed to delivering the highest possible quality care to the patients of this province. I would be more than happy if the member opposite wants to share details to look into this and to make sure that the family has access to the right people to investigate their concerns. I can't tell you, Speaker, that as we move forward with a patient advocate I am hopeful that all of us will have more comfort in knowing that all of our concerns are dealt with appropriately, Speaker. Thank you. Supplementary? The acting Premier has in fact been given this information in the past and has not pursued an investigation. Maria and the whole Descalos family have long asked for ombudsman oversight of our hospital sector. Ontario's ombudsman has noted the nightmare that this family was made to endure in his plea for oversight of hospitals. Yet this government continues to drag its feet on providing the answers the family needs and preventing other tragedies like this from occurring. On behalf of Maria, her mother and other families who have been failed by our health care system, I ask the acting Premier yet again to provide the desperately needed, independent, third party oversight that only our ombudsman can provide. Thank you, Minister. Well, Speaker, in fact our patient ombudsman will have the ability to investigate issues that are raised, brought to the patient ombudsman. I met with Andre Moran and spoke to him about the importance of a patient, a dedicated patient ombudsman, and he was very helpful, Speaker, in giving advice on exactly what that should look like. So as I say, there are currently in place reviews and oversight and patient advocates within hospitals. We're adding another layer to that, Speaker, a patient ombudsman, and I think that's the right thing to do as our system becomes more integrated to have someone with oversight over the entire health system and our patient ombudsman will do exactly that. Thank you. Do you remember from Leeds Grandville on a point of order? I just, I forgot to mention it in my question. I just want to wish my neighbour, the member for Stormont Dundas and South Glen Gary, a happy 60th birthday. I think, I think we all like to be reminded of how old we are. It's a great point of order. Pursuant to standing order 38A, the member from Leeds Grandville has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the minister. You're heckling the speaker. Training College and Universities concerning the closure of Kempville and Alfred Alper Cultural Colleges. This matter will be debated today at 6 p.m. There are no deferred votes. This house stands recessed until 3 p.m. this afternoon.